Issue 46, 2012

Quantitative DEMS study of ethanoloxidation: effect of surface structure and Sn surface modification

Abstract

Using the dual thin layer flow through cell, a semi-quantitative analysis of the volatile products during the electrooxidation of adsorbed and bulk solution of 0.01 M ethanol at polycrystalline platinum, smooth, roughened and Sn modified Pt(11,1,1), Pt(311) electrodes has been done by on-line differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy (DEMS). In addition to the current efficiency of CO2, that of acetaldehyde was determined as a function of the flow rate. At polycrystalline platinum, ethanol oxidation produces only acetaldehyde; the amount of acetaldehyde further oxidized to acetic acid is negligible due to convection conditions. For comparison and for calibration purposes, i-propanol oxidation was examined for which acetone is the only oxidation product. At Pt(11,1,1), the main oxidation product is acetaldehyde. At Pt(311), in addition to acetaldehyde, acetic acid was also formed. Surface modification with Sn did not increase the reactivity of Pt(11,1,1) instead it led to inhibition of the ethanol oxidation. In the case of Pt(311), the onset potential of oxidation was shifted negatively by 0.2 V in the presence of Sn. The results of the potentiostatic measurements showed that this shift is not associated with the production of CO2; rather acetic acid and acetaldehyde are the main oxidation products.

Graphical abstract: Quantitative DEMS study of ethanol oxidation: effect of surface structure and Sn surface modification

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Jul 2012
Accepted
05 Oct 2012
First published
05 Oct 2012

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2012,14, 16115-16129

Quantitative DEMS study of ethanol oxidation: effect of surface structure and Sn surface modification

E. Mostafa, Abd-El-Aziz. A. Abd-El-Latif, R. Ilsley, G. Attard and H. Baltruschat, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2012, 14, 16115 DOI: 10.1039/C2CP42520C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements